A review by ashmont27
Swing Time by Zadie Smith

challenging reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I have very mixed feelings about this book! I love Smith's writing style and the rich characters. Our unnamed narrator is portrayed as a shadow of everyone else in her life and struggles to find her own, which I personally found to be a fascinating character to follow. However, this book tries to explore SO MANY issues (female friendships, mother/daughter relationships, class & race struggles, celebrity charity, etc.) that none of them really get the attention they deserve. Everything ended up feeling very surface-level, instead of a deep dive into the issues the author wanted to comment on. That being said, this book made an excellent book club book! There was so much to discuss and so much was left up to interpretation. 
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